The Fellowship of Lifea Christian-based vegetarian group founded in 1973

|

Letters

Joseph Brotherton correspondence

Salford, Manchester,
April 21st. (1819)

"Dear Sir, –

"Your letter of the 13th instant, addressed to Mr. W., requesting
information respecting the religious society established here, the
members of which abstain from animal food and intoxicating liquor, he
has sent to me, desiring I would answer your inquiries, which I shall do
with great pleasure.

"The Society consists of about three hundred adults, whose
occupations, of course, are various, but who are chiefly engaged in the
different branches of manufacture carried on in this neighbourhood.
According to the Church Register, 3 members have abstained from animal
food and intoxicating liquor eleven years; 50 members ten years; 41,
nine; 18, eight; 23, seven; 11, six; 45, five; 33, four; and about 70
three years and under. The general state of health of our members is
certainly superior to that of persons who do not adopt the same
mode of living: this is capable of being proved by the books of the sick
societies, which have now been established among us nearly six years. I
conceive we have living examples to combat every objection that can be
brought against the system, as regards health, having members of
all ages who adopted the change under the most trying circumstances. In
order that you may form some idea of our mode of living, and the
principles we profess, I send herewith a Vegetable Cookery Book, a Hymn
Book, and the first part of a work entitled, "Facts, authentic in
Science and Religion," by the late Mr. Cowherd: of which I beg your kind
acceptance. It is with great pleasure I can state that the dietic
principles are daily gaining ground, particularly among medical men;
indeed it is quite perceptible that a great change in public sentiment
has taken place during the last seven years, and I am convinced that if
people would but consider the incalculable advantages that would result
to society by the more general adoption of the system, both as respects
the health and morals of the rising generation, they would find
unanswerable arguments in its behalf. Religion, humanity, reason and
experience are all in favour of the principle that we have no right to
kill for our "daily bread," but that fruit and vegetables are the
natural food of man. You will find on reference to the "Facts" that
there is sufficient authority for believing that animal food and
inebriating liquor are injurious to health, besides having a bad moral
tendency in brutalizing the passions, weakening the rational powers, and
blunting every humane feeling; whilst, on the other hand, a vegetable
diet and sober habits are conducive to the health of the body and the
enjoyment of the mind, and instead of degrading the human character to
the level of a savage, are calculated to elevate man in the scale of
rational beings, and to prepare him for a purer state of society
hereafter.

"I am, sir,

"With much respect, etc.,

"Joseph Brotherton."

Reply to a letter from James Lucock of Birmingham, from the
Monthly Repository of 1819, Vol.14, p.312

NB. Joseph Brotherton (1783–1857) was the first M.P. for Salford and
author of the tract OnAbstinence from Animal Food
(1821). He ministered at the town's first Bible Christian chapel after
the death of it's founder, Rev. William Cowherd (1763–1816) and Chaired
the inaugural meeting of the Vegetarian Society in 1847 .